MPD commander: Escorting celebrities is 'standard operating procedure'
An MPD commander is testifying that MPD has escorted celebrities besides Charlie Sheen, including professional athletes and performers like Justin Timberlake.
MPD Commander Hilton Burton, commander of the special operations division, says MPD Chief Cathy Lanier's repeated statements after the Sheen scandal broke - that MPD does not escort celebrities - were not true. He said celebrity escorts have been "standard operating procedure for a number of years."
But Lanier says she has written proof that Burton is lying about the escorts while she was in charge of SOD, including emails dating back to 2002 showing she denied celebrity escorts.
Burton is in charge of the division which escorted Charlie Sheen from the airport to Constitution Hall for a performance in April.
Burton testified during a D.C. Council committee on public safety.
He says Lanier's repeated statements after the Sheen scandal broke - that MPD does not escort celebrities - were not true. He said celebrity escorts have been "standard operating procedure for a number of years."
Lanier was quoted as saying that MPD only escorts presidents, vice presidents and visiting heads of states and the MPD doesn’t go outside D.C. jurisdiction. Burton says that’s not true.
He says Lieutenant Stuart Emerman and Capt. Robert Atcheson, who were transferred from the special operations division to patrol, are being unfairly targeted.
Burton testified that on June 8th, Assistant Chief Lamar Greene sent him an email stating: "If any media inquiries come in about these personnel actions, please advise then that these transfers are completely unrelated to the Charlie Sheen investigation.”
Burton says he asked to talk to Assistant chief Greene about making a statement to the media that he did not feel was truthful. He was refused
He then called out Lanier saying that she was once commander of special operations division between the years of 2002 and 2006. He said Hillary Duff, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, and Minister Farrakan were escorted by the division under her command.
Burton then provided a written listing of other none-dignitary escorts that were done by the division during fiscal years 2003 to 2006 including:
Justin Timberlake in 2003
Christina Aguilera in 2003
New England Patriots from Dulles to D.C. in 2003
Paul McCartney from Dulles Airport to D.C. in 2005
Billy Joel from Dulles Airport to D.C. in 2006
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